Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

The labs are in, and the numbers are fantastic. Really, I couldn't have hoped for better. While I do sometimes mope about all that I have given up, especially pizza, when I see the positive results from having done so, the clouds part, the sun shines brightly, and I dance around the house with the dogs (which gets Sunny all riled up and he ends up peeing on the couch).  It took several years, but all of the numbers are in the green. The last time I had blood work done, my liver enzymes were elevated, and my cholesterol total was nearly 300. I asked my then-doctor what I needed to do to get my cholesterol under control. Her answer was nothing, that the numbers were fine (they weren't). She said the same thing about the liver enzymes (they weren't). What she should have said was, "Let's look at your diet." She didn't. She didn't do anything except suggest medication if I was worried about the numbers. That was the moment I said I'm done with her. I n...

Winter is saying, "Hold up! Hold up! I'm not done here." The cold returned over the weekend, with a biting wind blowing, and it is still hanging around. We've reached that point of wintertime where it's close to the end but still far enough away from the end to bring about frustration. Temperatures of 14 degrees with real feel of -5 because of the wind have gotten long in the tooth. I am more than ready for winter to ease up its onslaught.  Because of the cold, the desire to go outside has waned. Having to pile on clothes multiple times a day is now annoying. Instead of getting out for walks, I'm simply opening the door and letting the boys out into the fenced yard, but even they don't want to be outside for any length of time. The four of us have decided to hole up, napping through the rest of winter (I wish). Recently I had my annual physical. This has become a requirement by my health insurance company to ensure my premium doesn't go up. So I jumped...

I know Hubby meant well in making the decisions he did for our dinner this evening, but the meal we just finished was probably the most disappointing one I've had in a long, long time. Because I try to eat sensibly for breakfast and lunch, I really look forward to topping off the day with a good, healthy meal that makes me feel like I've accomplished what I set before me in regards to food and my health. I admit, I veer off the healthy foods path far more often than I like, and that's why the last meal of the day is so important to me. Tonight, that still-bleeding, three inches thick hunk of meat with all that fat running through it, well, let's just say the dog enjoyed it. I felt immense sadness as I walked away from the table after only eating a sweet potato and a piece of birthday cake made for Angel Baby who turned 14 today, and now my mind is in anguish over not having eaten a healthy meal. This evening's dinner ended up being one of those moments that can'...